Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here Friday morning on a day’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
The prime minister’s special aircraft landed in the technical area of Jammu airport.
He was received by Governor N.N. Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, state Minister for Higher Education Muhammad Akbar Lone, state Chief Secretary Muhammad Iqbal Khandey, state police chief K. Rajendra Kumar and other senior officials.
National Security Advisor Ajeet Doval is accompanying Modi on his maiden visit to the state after he took over as the country’s prime minister.
He will fly in a helicopter to Katra town to inaugurate the 25 kilometre long rail link between the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine base camp town and Udhampur.
This rail link will connect the Katra base camp town directly with the rest of the country for the facility of millions of devotees who come to pay obeisance at the shrine every year.
Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda and Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh are already in Katra town to oversee the arrangements for the prime minister’s visit.
Modi will fly to summer capital Srinagar later in the day to address a Sainik Sammelan and a security review meeting at the Badami Bagh cantonment headquarters of army’s 15th corps.
He is also scheduled to inaugurate a 240 megawatt NHPC owned hydro-power project in Uri border town before concluding his day’s visit to the state.